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Basalt (WTA)
Basalt is a type of Mineral Spirit. Overview Basalt-spirits, along with the spirits of other igneous rocks, were Fire's gift to Gaia in the first days of the world's dawn. Driven by an inner heat and a fierce desire to know what lay above the surface of the earth, Basalt thrust itself upwards to view the sky, expelling great gouts of flame and smoke in its exultant cry of victory. Thus, volcanoes were born, and Basalt-spirits made their homes in these places of rock and fire. Even after people settled the earth, basalt spirits continued to seek new ways to pierce Gaia's outer shell. Humans living near volcanoes saw these fiery mountains as manifestations of the divine and worshipped them a gods of fire. Driven into Slumber by the rise of the Gauntlet, Basalt-spirits still awaken on rare occasions, even bringing forth new volcanic children such as the one that created the island of Surtsey of the coast of Iceland in 1963. These awakenings are usually short-lived, since the Gauntlet (abetted by scientific rationalism) quickly reasserts itself to drive these feisty spirits back into their torpid state. Basalt-spirits are common in volcanic area, although spirits of long-dormant volcanoes are often difficult to find. * Attitude: Neutral Image Basalt-spirits appear as black or dark grey presences that hover around the rock which serves as their earthly anchor. Some of these spirits seem to burn with an inner fire, a reddish glow that emanates from their interior and manifests as red, glowing eyes or fiery cracks along their forms. Habitat Wherever there are volcanoes, Basalt-spirits can usually be found in the nearby Umbra. Hawaii, Polynesia, Iceland, and the Pacific Northwest of the United States (near Mount St. Helen's) are examples of places where Basalt-spirits make their homes. Correspondances Spiritual War and Fire Materiel Basalt-spirits like to be reminded of the surface world, so offerings of fresh flowers or ripe fruit are appropriate gifts for summoning them. to bind a Basalt-spirit into a fetish, a Garou must hold a lit torch while performing the binding ritual. Basalt-spirits prefer fetish objects made from pieces of basalt or other igneous rock. Qualities Gift Lore Basalt-spirits can teach gifts involving fire, stone, and aggression. Taboos If an awakened Basalt-spirit fails to assist a fire spirit who requests help, it will be driven into Slumber. To awaken one of these spirits, a Garou must spend a point of Gnosis, which will temporarily rouse the spirit long enough for the Garou to discover why it was forced into Slumber. The Garou must the perform a Rite of Atonement to appease the wronged spirit. Occasionally, both the Garou and the Basalt-spirit may be asked to perform a service for a fire-spirit to atone for the breaking of the taboo. Chiminage In return for teaching Gifts, a Basalt-spirit will often require a Garou to describe a recent encounter with the natural world to appease its hunger for contact with the surface. This same desire will sometimes encourage a Basalt-spirit to allow itself to be bound into a fetish. If it does so, the Garou binding it must agree to undergo a "trial by fire," usually involving a visit to the site of an active volcano. This is not as arduous as it seems, since contacting a Basalt-spirit usually means that a Garou must journey to such a site in the first place. Garou carrying a fetish containing a Basalt-spirit must not go for more than 24 hours without lighting a fire of some kind (striking a match, lighting a candle, building a campfire, etc...). A Basalt-spirit that has been awakened from Slumber must be approached with respect, since these spirits remember the days when the were worshipped as fire deities. Communicating with these spirits requires patience, for even though they are relatively volatile, they still think and speak more slowly than most other sentient creatures. Garou with Rage that exceeds 5 will have no luck communicating with such spirits and may even provide them to a rare bout of anger. References # WTA. Axis Mundi: The Book of Spirits, pp. 122-123. Category:Spirit beings (WOD)